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Geoffrey Rowan is a reformed journalist who runs the Canadian operations of Ketchum, one of the world's largest communication firms. That means he has an opinion on just about everything, but mostly he writes about the vagaries of leaders and of communicators, though he will stray into comical observations on things in the news. He's a transplanted American, having married a Canadian and lost the discussion on where to live. But that has worked out just fine, especially now with three kids. The earliest career goal he can remember was garbageman, because as a five-year-old the idea of hanging off the back of a big truck seemed like the best thing you could do with your life. Then it was to play shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals; then to be a stand up comedian; and then a journalist. After 20 years as a reporter in the US and Canada, he moved into public relations and has never looked back. "There is both great art and great science in telling stories in a way that grabs people and helps them understand something," he says. "You've got to enjoy being mixed up in everything the world has to offer, like a garbageman. You've got to be agile and responsive, like a shortstop. And it helps to be able to make people laugh and to tell a good story."